Strana 104
the long run, outweigh the soul of the nation.
That soul is either rotten or good. And the
American soul has shown itself to be good
once again. Such a soul develops over many
generations, and those generations have their
own timetable, which is different from the one
or two terms of a president. We can say that
we will simply wait it out, even if it takes a long
time to repair the damage.
Despite my apparent praise, I cannot resist
one observation. And perhaps it is typical of
modern US. A good 80 percent of the billboards
on highways and in cities had a single theme
(admittedly, we were there outside of any
election period) – legal services. Smiling
lawyers with bleached teeth and a sparkle in
their eyes offered their services – one after
another, sometimes 50 meters apart. Most of
them represented clients in car accident cases.
But also in workplace accidents, divorces, and
many other things. These weren't billboards for
lawn mowers, popular drinks, or restaurants
around the corner. They were lawyers, law
firms, lawyers, and more lawyers. There were
an incredible number of such advertisements
on the road between Dallas and Houston and
on other areas as well. And I wonder if there
isn't something wrong with a country where,
as it seems, the wheels of money are mainly
driven by the need to fleece someone, to
squeeze money out of them, i.e., a nation that
needs advertisements mainly for lawyers.
My fears about going to Magaland were
dispelled by friends who were the same as
before, wonderful, amazing, and inspiring.
I won't pretend that I didn't notice the divides
I feared. I saw them and felt them. But under
the influence of the amazing people I met there,
those divides seemed very shallow. I guess it's
true that politicians shout, stir up crowds, are
pervasive and loud. But what a country is like,
what a nation is like, depends mainly on its
people. They are the face and backbone of their
country. Even the screaming crowds are not
a true reflection of the country and its people.
And in that respect, I was not disappointed.
America has remained for me as it always was
and as I loved it before. Because it is made up
of people. And they are like everywhere else
– kind, considerate, polite, warm-hearted and
self-sacrificing, or also devious, calculating,
cowardly, cunning and malicious. In Magaland
just like at anywhere else.
TAIL END CHARLIE
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June 2025